Improvement in violin attachments



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES F. ALBERT, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN VIOLIN ATTACHMENTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 149,702, dated April14, 1874 application filed February 7, 1874.

To all ywhom yit may concern:

Be it known that I, GHnRLEs F. ALBERT, ot' Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,have invented an Improvement in Violins, of which the following is aspecification:

The object of my invention, is to dispense with the mute used byviolinists for attachment to the bridges of violins, in order to subduethe tone, and this object I attain by means of a pad, D, arranged so asto be brought against the bridge below the strings. The pad may besecured to a bar, B, combined with the tail-piece, so that theperfori'ner, by bearing with his chin against the outer end of the bar,may force the pad against the bridge, as shown in the perspective view,Figure 1, and sectional view, Fig. 2, 'of the accompanying drawing, thedevice enabling the performer on a violin to subdue the tone of theinstrument as the character of the music may suggest, without resortingto the usual mute, the application of which to the bridge involves atemporary cessation in the performance.

The tail-piece A and bridge E occupy their usual positions on theviolin, as also do the four strings, a, b, c, and d. To the tail-piece,however, I attach a light metal frame, G, which has at each end aprojectiomc, the bar B above referred to passing through and beingguided by the two projections. The frame G may be constructed forattachment to the tailpiece in different ways, but I prefer the planshown in the drawing, which consists in providing the frame with aprojection, f, the bent end of which underlaps the broad end .e of thetail-piece, two projections, m m, for fitting into the two middle holesof the tail-piece, which receive the knots of the strings b and c, andtwo hooked projections, n a, which together form a spring-clasp forembracing the narrow portion of the tail-piece.' When the frame is thusconstructed it can be readily removed from the said tail-piece, afterrirst detaching the clasps a a, and it can be as readily replaced atwill. rEhe longitudinal bars p and q of the frame may be bowed andelastic, so as to bear with constant pressure against both tail-pieceand bar, thereby steadying the latter but the precise construction ofthe frame is immaterial, providing it serves as a proper guide for thebar B. One end oi' the sliding bar B is provided with a pad, s, sosituated and soformed as to be adapted to and admit of being pushed bythe chin of the player ot' the violin, the opposite end of the barhaving the elongated pad D faced with leather or other like material.Under ordinary circumstances this pad, which is situated below and freefrom. contact with the strings, is maintained at a short distance fromthe bridge E by a rubber band, 7L, or other equivalent light spring,acting on the sliding bar B, but when the player desires to subdue thesound of his instrument he pushes the pad D against the bridge byapplying his chin to the pad s, and maintains the said pad `D in contactwith the bridge as long as he desires the subdued tones to be continued,the removal ot his chin from the pad s being all that is necessary toinsure the withdrawal of the pad from the bridge. rIhe player is thusenabled without any cessation of the performance on his instrument toproduce at will more desirable changes of tone than can be obtained whethe ordinary mute is employed.

The bar B may be made in two parts, so connected together that the saidpad can be readily adjusted to suit the bridges of diiierent violins.

I claim as my invention-- l. In combination with the bridge of a violin,a pad or mute, D, arranged below the strings, and adapted to be pressedagainst and withdrawn from said bridge at the will of the player, allsubstantially as set forth.

2. The combination of the sliding barB and its pads D and s, with atrame, G, constructed for application to and detachment from thetail-piece, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES F. ALBERT.

Witnesses WM. A. STEEL, HARRY SMITH.

